Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1887-11-24
POISONED HIMSELF.
A Nephew of Rev. DR.. Plat Takes
Laud anum.

Early yesterday morning E. w.
Platt committed suicide by taking a
dose of laudanum, in the MERGED Hall
lodging house, on Main street. His
body was conveyed to the Coroner's
and an inquest was held there yester-
day afternoon, at which the following
evidence was brought forward:
J. P. Rodgers, clearinghouse
keeper, said: About z o'clock Tues
day night this man came to my place
and asked if he could have room.
l rented him one at half-a-dollar. He
went to bed and laid down. He
asked me to leave him the
lamp. At about IL o'clock
l was woke up by my partner,
and he told me that the ledger had
taken laudanum. went to his room
and found him lying curled up and
breathing heavily, and at once sent
for doctor, and in the meantime
rubbed him. l saw at once he was
under the infuance of an opiate. An
other doctor was also summoned and
they remained with the man til he
died, which was about 2 A. NJ. lie had
a memorandum book with the follow
ing addresses in it.: go. Leise, San
Diego, Cal, saloon; Sanborn & 0'Lea-
ry, saloon. Santa Rosa, CAL; Julia
Quinn, Mrs. Green; Wednesday, Oct.
IL, 1887. went to work for G. & G., So
per day; quit Wednesday, October
10, 1887; Bailey; arrived in San De-
60, Monday October 10, 1887" Ed.
B. Rives testified that he was drug
gist, and remembered the man coming
in last night and buying one ouneefof
tincture OF opium and paid two bits
for it. He complained OF violent rheu-
matism in his left wrist, and he want
ed to make liniment to bathe his
wrist with it. He said he was drug
gist himself. He appeared to be an
American by his talk, dressed neatly,
and was perfectly sober. He bought
the laudanum little after five
o'clock. Tincture of opium is used as
a liniment for opium.
Frederick Purssord testified: am
q professional nurse by occupation, but
at present a clearinghouse keeper. III
am a partner of j. P. Rodgers, and
OVID the MERGED Lodging-house. About
q quarter to eleven l went into the
room where the deceased was lying to
cover up the skylight. heard the
nan breathing heavily. I went over to |
him. His respiration was about seven
and his pulse irregular. l saw at once
ne was under the influence of an
)piate. l shook him and tried to |
arouse him. saw in a tumbler a
ew drops of liquor. l smelt it and |
ound it was laudanum. l also found |
! bottle labelled laudanum, but it was
,mpty. ! told my partner to shake
him while l went for the doctor.
Warm water was given to him to
make him vomit. l asked him what
le had taken, and he said: 'Noth-
ng; it is all right; leave me alone"
He died about A. N. The deceased
lad washed himself all over, and
Used three clean towels. 1 do not
know his name and never saw him
before. We did everything in our
power to restore him.
George Holden, who came in during
he inquest, said: l saw the deceased
WocA dIO ldSL SUNDAY. L knew him
It San Francisco. / think his name
Is f. w. Platt. He was hotel clerk
and worked in the Occidental Hotel,
San Francisco.
John A. Irwin, cashier at the
Nadeau House, stated that he recog-
nized the deceased as E. w. Plat,
and stated that he was a nephew OF
the Revd. pr. Platt, formerly Rector
OF Grace Church, San Francisco, and |
also cousin to Horace G. Plat. assis-
tant District Attorney of San Fran
cisco. He was born in Georgia and |
arrived here about two weeks AGO.
DR.. D. G.. MCGOWAN made q post.
examination of the BODY and
'ound evidences Of poisoning by
opium.
The jurors found that the deceased
anne to his death by an over dose of |
taken by himself with in
emit to commit suicide.